Breaking down UTEP

2013 Results

The Miners come off their eighth straight losing season in 2013. It looked as if UTEP was going to be competitive early in the season before the entire backfield went out with injuries halfway through the season.

The good news is those players are healthy and ready to suit up for this season, including senior Nathan Jeffery and sophomore Aaron Jones. Both are tailbacks in the Miners’ double-back formation. At 6-foot, 210 pounds, Jeffery gained 532 yards and five touchdowns a year ago, while Jones, at 5-10, 185 pounds, rushed for a UTEP freshman record of 811 yards and four touchdowns.

Defensively, the Miners held just two opponents under 30 points last year. There is a possibility of five players with starting experience taking the field this season in UTEP’s 4-2-5 secondary. The main concern for this year is the defensive line after the loss of four seniors up front. Roy Robertson-Harris, at 6-foot-7, 225, is expected to anchor the front of the Miner defense.